THE WOLF'S DEN - Tana dei Lupi II

[DCGweez]

Agreed on the inmates. A famous NFL GM once said, "start listening to the fans in the stands and you'll soon be sitting next to them."

[loazzi]

Well....this is a difficult dilemma. Baldini and Saba support LE. The players seem to support him, which would be huge in my book (as long as they support him behind closed doors as well). That said, he has not done very well. He came in pronouncing that he only knows one way how to play (red flag #1) and he had shown such tactical inflexibility. As I said a long time ago, I actually do like LE's tactic but I do not like the lack of the letter "s" at the end of the word "tactic." He has made some very strange decisions with regards to positions of players and substitutions. Some have worked out but most haven't. I do not the sitting on the bench making idiotic faces as if he were trying to squeeze one out. I MUCH prefer a passionate, fiery leader who rallies the troops for battle.

Does he deserve another year? Yes and no. I, for one, did not expect a top 3 (CL) finish. The team is too young, too new, too unfamiliar with the new tactic. I did, however, expect a top 5 (EL) finish. Some things went wrong that were out of LE's control (i.e. Juan and Burdisso's injuries). Some things should have been handled differently (such as player discipline issues and team motivation issues). I also revert to tactical flexibility. Personally, I would always (when possible) have had either Lamela or Bojan on the field in order to provide that different dimension of speed and spark. Often, LE preferred a tridente of Totti, Osvaldo and Borini, which lacks something for me.

I don't love our non-LE options though. AVB does not do it for me. He was awful at Chelsea. I've heard that he has adopted some of Mourinho's attitudes (which, if true, I don't want around my Roma) and that he has stated that he is not concerned whether or not he has the players' support. Ancelotti/Capello and other similar managers do not fit the project. Montella will not be brought back until after Totti retires or it would be a huge admission of fucking up, which I don't see Baldini doing. A Spalletti return would be my dream. He plays an attacking and attractive brand of calcio that would be consistent with the project. The players and fans both love him. He would finally have a transfer budget.

Back to the question of whether LE should resign due to the fans' protests and whether that would make him a dickless coward like Vooch. I don't think it would make him the dickless coward that Vooch is because Vooch wore a Roma jersey for many years and was loved by the tifosi. Vooch had a stretch in which his effort was atrocious and he missed a few sitters due to (IMO) the fact that he wasn't even mentally focused. The fans got on him and he left it all behind. LE would not be leaving behind a shirt that he wore for 4/5 years and LE's "failure" was never due to a lack of effort/desire on his part. Those two factors make a HUGE difference in my eyes. A better comparison might be Menez. A young guy with a lot of potential and several flaws but gave up on Roma before overcoming the flaws and realizing the potential.

That said, I think LE, Baldini and Sabatini should sit down as soon as the season ends and discuss what they learned, what they would continue to do the same, what they might do differently and what it would take to succeed in Serie A. If they feel like it is possible and likely to make the changes that are necessary, I hope he stays. If he is inspired to grow and evolve and improve, I hope he stays. If he just wants to continue to pound a square peg into a round hole, I hope that together they make the decision to move in another direction. BTW, THAT is what I think LE meant when he stated that he knows 100% what he will do....that is he will sit down with the directors and make the best possible decision along with them. I do not think that he meant he knew 100% whether he was staying or going.

Rant over.

[maro]

At the risk of being accused of pedantry, strictly speaking, the distinction you're proposing to draw vis-a'-vis Vooch would only make LE less of a cheesily knob, not less of a dickless wonder.

[DCGweez]

Spalletti has already said he doesn't miss Italian football because of the turnover. Add him to Ancelotti, Mancini and Capello. Non of which are in any hurry to return. I think Baldini and the Americans want to become the exception to the Serie A constant turnover rule. A very smart move in my book.

[Lupa]

Pedantry or peasantry? I've seen maro accused of both, the latter because of his love for sheep, I expect.

I think it's smart of the new bosses to want to avoid the constant turnover that is the rule in Italy, but if the current manager wants to run away, what are they supposed to do? They can't force him to stay; I believe them when they say the support him, and he doesn't seem to have lost the players as far as I can tell, but I've missed a few games.

[RomaShield27]

[RomaShield27]

I stand corrected, there is something just as important as Totti's 500th appearance. It is Giorgio Rossi's last official game after 55 years working for AS Roma. He's retiring at the age of 91.

GIORGIO ROSSI, in prima fila per l’ultima volta
/ Venerdì, 4 maggio 2012 - ore: 10:28

IL ROMANISTA (C.Zucchelli) - Giorgio Rossi, il primo della fila. Titolo del libro di Massimo Izzi, giustissimo per descrivere lui, ufficialmente massaggiatore della Roma...RASSEGNA STAMPA - Giorgio Rossi, storico massagiatore della Roma, è sempre stato il primo della fila nel club giallorosso. Una figura da sempre molto importante. Non a caso Massimo Izzi ha intitolato in questo modo il suo ultimo lavoro, che ripercorre la vita di Rossi. Come sottolinea l’articolo de ‘Il Romanista’, non basterebbe un’enciclopedia intera per raccontarla. 55 anni di Roma. Praticamente una vita. Domani Roma-Catania. Domani l’ultima partita in casa di Rossi. Un uomo discreto, che non ha mai tradito le confidenze di allenatori e dirigenti e che nessuno meglio di Francesco Totti ha saputo descrivere proprio nel libro di Izzi: «Un aggettivo che descriva fino in fondo quanto sia speciale Giorgio è impossibile, non esiste». A Giorgio Rossi mancherà la Roma, c’è da giurarci. All’età di 81 anni, Giorgio andrà in pensione.

[Lupa]

Hey Shield, I'm pretty sure you have an iPhone -- have you got the new official AS Roma app? A friend told me about it yesterday. You'll really like the language symbols on it. hint: same as on the official site.

[DCGweez]

Agreed Spalletti would come back to Rome in the future but I think after we prove to be a bit more stable.

Another note. There is a possibility that Italian managers could win the CL, EPL, Serie A, russian league and French league.

[RomaShield27]

Thats a great stat about Italian managers. You can add the European Championships 2012 to that list too, once Il Trap leads the mighty Boys in Green to a glorious victory. All hail the Trap.

Hey Lups, no I didn't get that app yet. Mainly cos I haven't bothered updating my iPhone with new apps in a while, but I'll get it alright. I know what you mean by the language symbols: Italiano or Americano yeh?

[romawi]

Line up against Catania should be this

Super formation
-------------------Stek-------------------
-------------Kjer------Heinze-----------
------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
-Bojan-Borini---Marquino-DDR--Lamela-Angel-
------------------Totti--Osvaldo---------

[RomaShield27]

Jasus, don't be so ridiculous, romawi... Stek is injured.

[DCGweez]

[DavidP]

avb would be an interesting choice, but i think i'd prefer someone like montella or spalletti. probably someone like guidolin/mazarri too

[RomaShield27]

Roma, i convocati per il Catania: out Josè Angel e Rosi
/ Sabato 05 Maggio 2012 10:57

(AsRoma.it) - Il tecnico della Roma, Luis Enrique, ha diramato la lista dei convocati per la sfida di stasera con il Catania. Questi i calciatori scelti dal tecnico spagnolo per l'ultima gara casalinga della stagione:

1 LOBONT Bogdan Ionut
5 HEINZE Gabriel Ivan
7 MARQUINHO – Marco Antonio De Mattos Filho
8 LAMELA Erik Manuel
9 OSVALDO Pablo Daniel
10 TOTTI Francesco
11 TADDEI Rodrigo
14 BOJAN KRKIC Perez Bojan
15 PJANIC Miralem
16 DE ROSSI Daniele
18 CURCI Gianluca
19 GAGO Fernando Ruben
20 PERROTTA Simone
23 GRECO Leandro
26 TLLO Gadji Celi Carmel Junior
30 SIMPLICIO Fabio Henrique
31 BORINI Fabio
44 KJAER Simon
93 PIGLIACELLI Mirko


Roma-Catania, LE FORMAZIONI dei quotidiani: rilancio per Pjanic, dubbio Lamela-Borini
/ Sabato 05 Maggio 2012 10:12

(Redazione Forzaroma.info) - Penultima di campionato, la Roma saluta l’Olimpico nella gara contro il Catania:

l’Europa League, ultimo obiettivo alla portata degli uomini di Luis Enrique è la motivazione dietro un finale di stagione altrimenti anonimo. Il tecnico spagnolo, prima dei dubbi sulla sua permanenza nella Capitale, deve sciogliere quelli sulla formazione che questa sera scenderà in campo: i quotidiani ipotizzano formazioni pressoché uguali, gli unici ballottaggi su chi coprirà le fasce in fase di copertura (in tre per due maglie: Rosi, Taddei e Josè Angel) e chi affiancherà Totti e Osvaldo nel reparto avanzato: Lamela, scontata la squalifica rimediata contro la Juventus, sembra favorito su Borini, anche se è nota la stima che il mister asturiano ripone nell’ex attaccante del Parma. Una curiosità: in attesa dei convocati, tutti i quotidiani ripropongono una panchina “vecchio stile”, in cui non figura nessun ragazzo della Primavera.

LA GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT
Lobont, Taddei, Kjaer, Heinze, Josè Angel, De Rossi, Marquinho, Pjanic, Totti, Lamela, Osvaldo

A disp: Curci, Cicinho, Perrotta, Gago, Simplicio, Borini, Bojan

IL MESSAGGERO
Lobont, Rosi, Kjaer, Heinze, Taddei, De Rossi, Marquinho, Pjanic, Totti, Borini, Osvaldo

A disp: Curci, Josè Angel, Greco, Simplicio, Gago, Lamela, Bojan

IL ROMANISTA
Lobont, Rosi, Kjaer, Heinze, Josè Angel, De Rossi, Marquinho, Pjanic, Totti, Lamela, Osvaldo

A disp: Curci, Taddei, Greco, Simplicio, Gago, Borini, Bojan

IL TEMPO
Lobont, Rosi, Kjaer, Heinze, Taddei, De Rossi, Marquinho, Pjanic, Totti, Lamela, Osvaldo

A disp: Curci, Taddei, Greco, Simplicio, Gago, Bojan, Borini

CORRIERE DELLO SPORT
Lobont, Taddei, Kjaer, Heinze, Josè Angel, De Rossi, Marquinho, Pjanic, Totti, Lamela, Osvaldo

A disp: Curci, Rosi, Perrotta, Gago, Simplicio, Bojan, Borini

[DavidP]

Roma-Catania
ROMA (4-3-3): Lobont; Taddei, Kjaer, Heinze, Marquinho; Gago, De Rossi, Pjanic; Borini, Totti, Osvaldo

[romawi]

That's an awful line up.

[DavidP]

good match today.

[forzaitalia]

[Andreas20]

FACT: No Totti, No Party